TORONTO –
Rogers Communications Inc has appointed Tony Staffieri as the interim chief executive officer to replace Joe Natale, the company said on Tuesday, following a rare public fight in the Canadian corporate world.
The company said Natale has left the company, effective Tuesday, and the search for a permanent chief executive officer is on.
The development comes following the telecommunications company’s decision earlier this month to reinstate ousted Chairman Edward Rogers after a court backed his petition to constitute a new board.
The dispute started after Edward Rogers, the only son of late founder Ted Rogers, tried to drop Natale in favor of Staffieri in September, saying he lost confidence in Natale’s ability to lead a combined entity following a merger with Shaw Communications.
Rogers’ move was blocked by the board, and that resulted in Staffieri leaving the company. His attempt to replace the chief put him at odds with his mother and two sisters, who are company directors.
Edward Rogers lost out in the ensuing power struggle, and he was removed as the chair of Rogers Communications. He petitioned the British Columbia Supreme Court to validate the new slate of directors he had appointed, which the court agreed to.
“The company has an exceptional set of assets and the Board has full confidence in his ability to lead Rogers Communications during this period,” Edward Rogers said in a statement on the CEO appointment.
This is a breaking news story, more to come
